1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to article carriers and more particularly pertains to a set of modular backpack panniers which may be reconfigured into luggage for carrying articles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of article carriers is known in the prior art. More specifically, article carriers heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of carrying articles upon the back of a user are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
For example, a combination pack frame, cot and tent is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,005 which comprises two principal parts, the first being a pack frame which is to be secured to a persons back, and the second being the lightweight tubular folding structure which forms the cot and the remainder of the tent support.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,813 which teaches a back pack frame for supporting a tent. The device includes a pair of spaced parallel L-shaped frame members which may be secured to an upright support member, such as a tree, whereby the frame members extend orthogonally from the tree and parallel to a ground surface to support a tent structure therebetween.
Other know prior art article carriers include U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,206; U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,855; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,307.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a set of back pack panniers which may be reconfigured into luggage for carrying articles that includes first and second backpacks each of which may be separated into upper and lower compartments, with the lower compartments being couplable together to form a transportable piece of luggage, and the upper compartments being similarly couplable together to form a further piece of luggage. Furthermore, none of the known prior art article carriers teach or suggest a set of modular back pack pannier luggage assembly of the aforementioned structure which further includes a tent extendable from the back pack, as well as an extensible elastic pack cover for protecting the backpack from rain or the like.
In these respects, the modular backpack pannier luggage according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of carrying articles within mountain bike panniers which may be reconfigured into back packs or luggage.